I agree, jmiller, it's good to see researchers applying one technology to a different use. In this case, I think it's an even better use, as the Segway itself (in my opinion) was a pretty silly thing as a people mover. But in this case, it could really be worthwhile. I'm sure search and rescue also could be a good option, with the robot identifying where there might be survivors in rubble who need rescuing in the case of earthquakes, building collapses etc.

Thank you, bobjengr. I personally do really like the stories best that focus on technology that can really have an effect on people and potentially help people's lives or even save them. This is a case of the latter. Fighting fires is incredibly dangerous, as we just saw in Arizona where those firefighters died. While this of course wouldn't hep in that situation, it would, as you point out, be very helpful to protect firefighters in the case of dangerous chemicals or other scenarios where a preemptive scan of the area could be the difference between life and death.

Very interesting post Elizabeth. I have a neighbor who retired as the chief of fire for a small city outside Chattanooga. He told me the most feared circumstance was working fires in buildings that contained chemicals or paint. This (of course) was due to the toxic nature of the substances. Older building also pose a great threat to the safety of the fire fighters. This device would be an excellent solution to that problem. Sensors detecting gasses as well as temperature would be a definite value-added to this men and women who fight these fires. I wonder if there are microphones installed to detect movement or sounds from trapped individuals in the building. Great post.

That feature is quite impressive, William K, and point taken about its ability to sustain hot temperatures. But I think the researchers are working to fire proof it so this particular robot wouldn't go into a fire without some serious thermal protection.

This is quite an interesting concept, and I am especially impressed with the way that leg boosts it up over things and works for climbing steps. But the package in the video would not last even a minute in a really hot area, so I hope that what we are seeing is just the demonstration of concept version. The real thing will need to have a lot of protection from radiant heat as well as from a hostile environment.

But it certainly does appear to be an invention with a god bit of potential usefulness.

I would assume that the robot has temperature sensors in the electronics box and is programmed to scoot out of harms way when the internal temperature is too hot for the battery/psu circuits. From what I know of such environments, it wouldn't be able to operate for long before overheating, and it would have to be constantly aware of which direction cooler air lies.

I think the end of the video was just a demonstration of the sense of the humor of the inventors...probably not really so funny, but I guess they wanted the video to end with a "bang," literally, not a whimper. Probably could have done without it! But it's still quite effective to see the robot in action before the grand finale.

A few weeks ago, Ford Motor Co. quietly announced that it was rolling out a new wrinkle to the powerful safety feature called stability control, adding even more lifesaving potential to a technology that has already been very successful.

It won't be too much longer and hardware design, as we used to know it, will be remembered alongside the slide rule and the Karnaugh map. You will need to move beyond those familiar bits and bytes into the new world of software centric design.

People who want to take advantage of solar energy in their homes no longer need to install a bolt-on solar-panel system atop their houses -- they can integrate solar-energy-harvesting shingles directing into an existing or new roof instead.

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